Anthony Richardson: Grading the Colts’ No. 4 overall NFL Draft pick

The 2023 NFL Draft has already been full of surprises like two quarterbacks going Nos. 1 and 2 and the Houston Texans trading for the third pick from the Cardinals. The Colts waited patiently at No. 4 and selected Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

There was plenty of talk about the Colts going quarterback at No. 4 overall but the fact that Bryce Young and CJ Stroud were off the board in the first two picks could have forced an audible.

But that just wasn’t the case as Indianapolis’ top priority this offseason was finding its quarterback of the future. Richardson fits that mold.

Richardson started just 13 games over his Florida career and finished with 3,105 yards and 24 touchdowns with 15 interceptions and a 55 percent completion rate. He also had 1,116 yards rushing and 12 more scores.

This is an intriguing pick, to say the least.

Grading the Colts’ selection of Anthony Richardson

Colts fans will need to have some patience with Richardson. He’s a project for sure, but he may be the most athletically gifted passer in this class.

Accuracy was a big issue for him at Florida, but he has all the tools to make him a potentially great NFL quarterback. He’s 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, runs a 4.4 40-yard dash, and he has a rocket for an arm. With enough time and patience, I think he’s going to grow into a really good quarterback in this league.

Since he’s raw, he might sit behind Gardner Minshew to start his Colts career, but I don’t think it’ll be long before he’s QB1.

This is a high-risk, high-reward pick.

Grade: B